We read and hear about missing children all over the world. It seems to me that here lately we hear about even more cases than we use to 20 years ago. 45 years ago it was safe for a 10 year old to walk on the streets to go two blocks or so to the corner grocery store to buy their favorite candy with their weekly allowance. Unfortunately though, it isnâ€™t so safe anymore.

Seventeen years ago Andrea Parsons was 10 years old. On July 11, 1993 she went to the neighborhood store which was about two blocks from home to buy candy and chips. Little Andrea was never seen since then. What ever happened to her? No one seems to know.

I have looked long and hard for reports about her disappearance but they are not so easy to find but I did find one from tcpalm.com that gives some information about the day that Andrea went to Buckyâ€™s Port Salerno Grocery. It is reported that at 6:10 pm she was seen walking home waving to some people she knew in a car that passed by.

Her disappearance hit the national news and local detectives even appeared on John Walshâ€™s â€œAmericaâ€™s Most Wantedâ€.Â Three days after she disappeared, the investigators received what they thought would be a major break in the case.

Claude Davis, a neighbor that lived across the street told police that he saw four Hispanic men grab Andrea but later Davis changed his story saying he had dreamed that he was in Phipps Park collecting cans with Andrea and she fell and hit her head. Davis went on to say he got scared so he put her body in a trash bin. The waters were searched by divers, even by using sonar equipment and cadaver dogs but nothing. They searched the local landfill for weeks and could never find any sign of Andreaâ€™s body.

Davis was arrested and charged with false imprisonment but the charges were dropped on May of 1994. They said they had to let him go due to lack of evidence. In June 1999 Davis was charged for violation of his probation when he contacted a girl that he has been convicted of molesting in 1993.Â Detectives hoped Davis would tell them more of what he knew about Andrea in exchange for leniency in that case but he never told anything so he went to jail and served about 4 years in prison.

â€œHe is like a tree in the middle of the road,â€ said Martin County Sheriffâ€™s Office Lt. John Silvas. â€œWe canâ€™t clear him and we canâ€™t charge him.â€

Now after 17 years the neighbor, Davis, who is 73 years old claims he never was involved with Andreaâ€™s disappearance and knows nothing about where she or her body could be found.

Davis told the detectives that he was actually at the park picking up cans when he saw Andrea kicking at her alleged abductors before they put her in the back seat of a maroon-colored four-door Oldsmobile. He claims he didnâ€™t intervene because he was afraid that he would get hurt.Â â€œMaybe I should have followed the car,â€ said Davis. â€œThatâ€™s the only thing now I wished I had done.â€

If what he says is true he should have spoken up at the time and then maybe the police would have been able to find Andrea. Instead Andreaâ€™s mother, Linda Parsons is left to only imagine what happened to her daughter after all these years.

My heart goes out to Linda Parsons. The last time she saw her daughter was earlier that afternoon Andrea gave her a kiss good-bye when she was leaving to go to work at Winn-Dixie. Since then Linda has been working different part-time jobs and has been living with various relatives. â€œI havenâ€™t been able to find a home again since that happened,â€ she said. â€œIâ€™m still stuck in 1993â€.

Silvas is determined top always check out any lead that comes in. Having children of his own he can visualize what one would feel like to lose someone in cases such as this.

I located a site, that has Andreas picture along with a age-progressed photo of what she might look like at the age of 23.Â If anyone has seen this girl who now would be 27 years old missing from Port Salerno, Florida, please contact National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) or contact the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (Florida) – 1-772-220-7170.

Andrea at the age of 10 when she disappeared in 1993.

This is an age progressed guess of what she may look like now.

It has to be hard just not knowing. I have covered several missing children stories on BNN. After so long it feels like they have gone forgotten when no leads come in and you are at the end of the road with the investigation. Just remembering their names, not letting them fade away could help one day in finding them. I remember 6 year old Adji Desir, who disappeared on January 10, 2009 and 5 year old Haleigh Cummings, who disappeared on February 10, 2009. Sadly all three of these children are from Florida and there are others from all over that have never been found. They all need to be found and brought home.

My prayers go out to Linda Parsons. I canâ€™t even begin to imagine what she has been through the past 17 years not knowing where her daughter is or what happened to her. She hasnâ€™t given up though. â€œIâ€™m just trying to survive,â€ she said. â€œI still have hope that sheâ€™s alive. Iâ€™m not going to think otherwise because thereâ€™s no proof of it.â€ Linda I canâ€™t say that I blame you for that. Not too many mothers out here would be able to give up either, no matter how many years ago it had been. God bless you!

Jan Barrett

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Jan, this is a beautiful article. Although I had read it before, you bring something out that no one else can. It brought tears to my eyes.
This childs family needs closure, (if there even is such a thing) but her Mother needs to know where her daughter is. She deserves to know and to be able to bring her home.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

looking for justice said,

in September 25th, 2010 at 7:58 pm

Jan this a beautiful article. It is so touching. Lets all keep praying that these missing children will be found and be brught home.

Treece said,

in September 25th, 2010 at 8:00 pm

Jan thank you for the article. My heart goes out to her mom and family. Will pray she is found.

Linda,if your reading this .I will be praying for Andrea,as well as you.One never knows,children have been found after many yrs of being missing.I have a daughter,an i know it would be devistating for something like this to happen.

No child should have to be done snatched away from there loved ones,an no mother should
have to suffer,wondering what happened.Linda i understand you,never giving up.

Its a shame whats happening to children.I remember walking to the store alone,or with one of my sisters at that age.Its not safe for a child to play in there own front yard like adji now days,much less walk to the store,or walk home from school.We remember what happened to Somer Thompson,while walking home from school.I agree that man who gave different statments,is odd.I wont pass my op at this time about him.

Jan thank you for putting her then,an now photos up.Maybe some one will read this,or see the photos,an remember something.I will try to get this out around the beach,its worth a try.

Jan have you heard any more about the run away,you wrote about a while back.Do you have a update.

Yes, Jan, thank you for writing such an exceptional, emotional article for my daughter. It could be the chain reaction we need to finally bring Andrea home!It’s not an easy thing to keep her face and story out in the media. I posted this on my Facebook to be shared. Again, thank so much.

LadyDay said,

in September 28th, 2010 at 12:49 pm

Thank you for such a beautiful and emotional article, Jan. It is a blessing that somebody keeps these childrens names out there, to remind others these cases havent been solved and these children are out there and might also be looking for their families as well. Has this story ever been on one of those shows like Cold Case Files-the t.v. program about real unresolved cases, not to be confused with cold Case tv show. It wouldnt hurt to get in touch with the programming personnel and give them all the paticualrs, if this hasnt been doen already.

LadyDay said,

in September 28th, 2010 at 12:53 pm

Just checked. this would be on A & E tv programming. You could check out their website and see if they have contact information on how to do a story on Andrea. Blessings.

Ruth Brewer said,

in September 28th, 2010 at 2:20 pm

What a lovely tribute to Andrea! We are all praying Linda will find her daughter — real soon!

robin said,

in September 28th, 2010 at 2:34 pm

I agree LadyDay. I do not understand why this is not a tv program solely devoted to missing children and their stories. Families should have not have to struggle for 17 years wondering where their child is. Publicity is the key to getting these children home. Thanks stormgardner and Jan for bringing this case to the attention of the public. No child should be left behind should not only apply to our education system–it should apply to our missing children as well. Let’s not let these children be forgotten or their fate be left unknown. Andrea deserves to be found and her family deserves answers.

Dedecee said,

in September 30th, 2010 at 8:53 am

It just eats away at me that so many of these children are never found. Sometimes I have to take a break away from reading about them because it bothers me too much. I always keep them in my prayers though. Can’t imagine what the parents go through and how they even go on.

Ethel Minor said,

in October 26th, 2010 at 8:40 pm

What a well-written story! Here’s hoping it will get the national attention it deserves. Linda, God will put all the puzzle pieces in place – in the meantime, please allow us to shoulder any part of the burden we can. What can we do to help? You can be sure our family will lift you up in prayer.

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